Intro

[seanmckee]

Hi my name is Sean and I bought a 2006 vw bug with the TDI motor.
I have done a ton of gas engine timing belts from Toyota to Ferrari.
I have yet to need locking plates, but I can see the cam lock is necessary.
BTW a drill bit worked perfectly.
Let me know if I am going to create a disaster if I simply keep the crank in a marked position and install the new belt.

Looking forward to being a new owner with great economy.

Sean

[chittychittybangbang]

As you know, cam lock is just a pin of the correct diameter but crank lock is needed. It's a cheap tool and worth buying. I also rent them. There are no index marks on the belt and once you adjust cam timing with help of VCDS tool you'll see how much of a difference it makes. See PD idle adjustment and cam timing article for more on this. If you use tool and pin, cam timing will be almost perfect on new belt. If you don't and it runs well (not OK but within specs), you got lucky. Check out the VCDS tool from ross tech as well, can use on any VW if you buy the newer one. Your mk4 can use the older one that isn't compatible with newer can-bus.